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>Date: Fri, 18 Jun 1999 15:03:13 -0500
>Reply-To: History of Astronomy Discussion Group <HASTRO-L@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU>
>Sender: History of Astronomy Discussion Group <HASTRO-L@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU>
>From: Wilds <Wilds@NETWORKSPLUS.NET>
>Subject: Re: A moon's significance in life?
>To: HASTRO-L@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU
>
>At 05:22 PM 6/17/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>>Date: Thu, 17 Jun 1999 17:07:19 -0400
>>>From: "Cecchini, Ron" <Ron.Cecchini@GSC.GTE.Com>
>>>Subject: SETI A moon's significance in E.T.I. ?
>>>To: Sagan <carlsagan@craigerware.avalon.net>, SETI <seti@sni.net>
>>>X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2448.0)
>>>Sender: owner-seti@lists.sni.net
>>>
>>>
>>>i don't know if Larry already forwarded something about this, but anyway.
>>>
>>>Seems like some faulty reasoning in the below...
>>>
>>>-----------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>>From New Scientist, 19 June 1999
>>>
>>>WHY DOES THE MOON look the same size as the Sun in the sky? This
>>>coincidence,
>>>which makes the spectacle of total eclipses possible, has been crying out
>>>for
>>>an explanation. Now an astronomer in Seattle has proposed one. If he's
>>>right,
>>>there is a surprising connection between the conditions required for a
total
>>>eclipse and for the emergence of intelligent life.
>
>This is just the kind of "science" that is ruining the credibility of the
>profession (what little is left in the public view). I was taught that
>sciece is "observable and repeatable." It is nice to have ideas about
>"coincidences", but this is not science. Many of us have worked very hard
>to deal with the numbers and experiments that are required to do quality
>science. The public view of science, at this point, is so eroded through
>the use of unsubstantiated "coincidence" that I fear the scientific
>community is facing an ever greater deterioration of public financial
>support for science programs simply through its increasing unreliability.
>So much of what we call science today is not observable and repeatable and,
>therefore, not science, that we stand to delude ourselves in the extreme.
>What ever happened to science by the numbers?
>
>>>The coincidence in the apparent sizes of the Moon and the Sun occurs
>>>because the Sun, though 400 times bigger than the Moon, is also 400 times
>>>farther away. In fact, the Moon sometimes looks a shade bigger than the
>>>Sun, which is essential for a "perfect eclipse" when the sky is dark enough
>>>for you to see the Sun's faint outer atmosphere, or corona.
>
>In fact, the moon also sometimes looks a shade smaller causing and Annular
>Eclipse.
>
>>>Because tidal effects cause the Moon to slowly recede from the Earth,
>>>perfect eclipses have been visible only for about 150 million years and
>>>will continue for only another 150 million years, about 5 per cent of the
>>>current age of the Earth. Furthermore, Earth is the only planet in our
>>>Solar System where a perfect eclipse is visible, although there are 64
>>>other moons.
>>>
>>>So are we just extraordinarily lucky? Guillermo Gonzalez of the University
>>>of Washington in Seattle thinks not. He points out that our distance from
>>>the Sun, and hence its apparent size, is a necessary condition for us to be
>>>here. "If we were a little nearer or farther from the Sun, the Earth would
>>>be too hot or too cold and so uninhabitable," says Gonzalez.
>>>
>>>At the same time our existence depends on an unusually large moon since its
>>>pull stops the Earth wobbling around too much on its axis and causing wild
>>>and catastrophic swings in climate like those on Mars. Our Moon, which is
>>>unusually large compared to those in almost all other planet-moon systems,
>>>probably formed from molten material blasted from the Earth during the
>>>impact of a giant body more than 4 billion years ago.
>>>
>>>In the current issue of Astronomy & Geophysics (vol 40, p 3.18), Gonzalez
>>>points out that the way the Moon formed means it started off very close to
>>>the Earth and has taken several billion years to move far enough away until
>>>it precisely covers the Sun during an eclipse. "The timescale is very
>>>similar to that of the appearance of intelligent life," he says. "It is
>>>therefore not such a big coincidence that we are around at the time when it
>>>is possible to see total eclipses."
>>>
>>>Gonzalez's explanation has generated much interest among astronomers,
>>>though most remain cautious. "The timescale argument of Gonzalez needs
>>>more checking," says John Barrow of the University of Sussex.
>>>
>>>If Gonzalez is right, then all extraterrestrials, wherever they are, are
>>>likely to live on planets like ours that experience total eclipses. But
>>>since an unusually large Moon is rare, he says, this suggests that both
>>>ETs and total eclipses are very rare indeed.
>
>The "coincidence" of the Earth/Moon systems certainly begs an answer, but
>it is not one that science is going to answer anytime soon. Thank You!
>
>
>------
>"...indeed the business of the universe is to make such a fool of you that
>you will know yourself for one, and so begin to be wise!" Quote of Mr.
>Raven(The Librarian, The Sexton or Adam) from Lilith, by George MacDonald.
>
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